Improvement in Food Resources

Improvement in Crop Yields

Why Do We Need to Improve Food Production?

• Food is essential: It provides proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• Sources: We get food from plants (agriculture) and animals (animal husbandry).
• Growing Population: India has over a billion people and needs more food.
• Limited Land: India is already using most of its land for farming.

Past Successes

• Green Revolution: Increased food-grain production.
• White Revolution: Better milk production.

Challenges

• Resource Use: Intensive farming can harm natural resources.
• Sustainability: We need to produce more food without damaging the environment.
• Food Security: People need access to and money for food.
• Livelihoods: Most people depend on agriculture for income.

Solutions

• Scientific Management: Use better farming techniques to increase yields.
• Mixed Farming: Combine crops with livestock, poultry, fisheries, or bee-keeping.
• Sustainable Practices: Use intercropping and integrated farming.

Improvement in Crop Yields

Types of Crops

• Cereals: Wheat, rice, maize, millets, sorghum (provide energy).
• Pulses: Gram, pea, black gram, green gram, pigeon pea, lentil (provide protein).
• Oil Seeds: Soyabean, groundnut, sesame, castor, mustard, linseed, sunflower (provide fats).
• Vegetables, Spices, Fruits: Provide vitamins and minerals.
• Fodder Crops: Berseem, oats, sudan grass (food for livestock).

Growth Conditions

• Climatic Needs: Different crops need different climates, temperatures, and sunlight (photoperiods).
• Photosynthesis: Plants make food using sunlight.

Crop Seasons

• Kharif Season: June to October (rainy season).
  • Examples: Paddy, soyabean, pigeon pea, maize, cotton, green gram, black gram.
• Rabi Season: November to April (winter season).
  • Examples: Wheat, gram, peas, mustard, linseed.

Increase in Production

• Past Increase: Four times more food grains from 1952 to 2010 with only 25% more land.
• Farming Stages:
  1. Choice of Seeds: Selecting the right seeds.
  2. Nurturing: Taking care of the growing crops.
  3. Protection: Safeguarding crops from loss.

Key Activities for Improvement

• Crop Variety Improvement: Developing better seed varieties.
• Crop Production Improvement: Enhancing farming methods.
• Crop Protection Management: Preventing crop damage and loss.

A. CROP VARIETY IMPROVEMENT

Why Improve Crop Varieties?

• Good Yield: Finding crops that produce more.
• Useful Traits: Breeding for disease resistance, better response to fertilizers, and high-quality products.

Methods of Crop Improvement

• Hybridisation:
  • Crossing different plants.
  • Types:
    • Intervarietal (different varieties).
    • Interspecific (different species of the same genus).
    • Intergeneric (different genera).
• Genetic Modification: Introducing genes for desired traits.

Acceptance of New Varieties

• High Yield Everywhere: Must produce well in different areas.
• Good Quality Seeds: Farmers need high-quality, uniform seeds.

Factors Affecting Crop Yield

• Weather, Soil, Water: Unpredictable weather and soil quality impact yield.

Variety Improvement Factors

• Higher Yield: More crops per acre.
• Improved Quality:
  • Baking quality in wheat.
  • Protein quality in pulses.
  • Oil quality in oilseeds.
  • Preserving quality in fruits and vegetables.
• Resistance:
  • Biotic: Diseases, insects, nematodes.
  • Abiotic: Drought, salinity, water logging, heat, cold, frost.
• Maturity Duration:
  • Shorter time from sowing to harvesting.
  • Allows multiple crops per year.
  • Reduces production cost.
  • Uniform maturity makes harvesting easier.
• Wider Adaptability: Grows well in various climates.
• Desirable Agronomic Traits:
  • Tall and branched for fodder crops.
  • Dwarf for cereals to save nutrients and increase productivity.

B. CROP PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Types of Farming

• Small to Large Farms: Different farmers have varying land sizes, money, and technology access.
• Financial Conditions: Money affects the type of farming practices and technologies used.
• Input Levels: Farming can be ‘no cost’, ‘low cost’, or ‘high cost’.

1. Nutrient Management

• Plant Nutrients: Plants need nutrients from air, water, and soil for growth.
• Types of Nutrients:
  • Macro-Nutrients: Needed in large amounts.
  • Micro-Nutrients: Needed in small amounts.

Importance of Nutrients

• Deficiency Effects: Lack of nutrients affects plant growth, reproduction, and disease resistance.
• Enriching Soil: Adding manure and fertilizers increases soil nutrients and yield.

Manure

• What is Manure?: Organic matter from decomposed animal and plant waste.
• Benefits:
  • Enriches soil with nutrients and organic matter.
  • Improves soil structure.
  • Increases water holding capacity in sandy soils.
  • Improves drainage in clayey soils.
• Types of Manure:
  • Compost and Vermi-Compost: Decomposed farm waste. Vermi-compost uses earthworms.
  • Green Manure: Plants like sun hemp or guar grown and then ploughed into the soil.

Fertilizers

• What are Fertilizers?: Commercially produced plant nutrients.
• Key Nutrients: Supply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Usage:
  • Promote good vegetative growth.
  • Increase yields in high-cost farming.
• Precautions: Proper dose, timing, and application to avoid pollution and soil damage.
• Long-term vs Short-term: Fertilizers give quick results but can harm soil fertility over time. Manure provides long-term benefits.

Organic Farming

• Definition: Minimal or no use of chemicals, relying on organic manures and recycled farm waste.
• Practices:
  • Use bio-agents like blue-green algae for biofertilizers.
  • Use neem leaves or turmeric as bio-pesticides.
  • Healthy cropping systems like mixed cropping, inter-cropping, and crop rotation.
• Benefits:
  • Controls insects, pests, and weeds.
  • Provides nutrients naturally.

2. Irrigation

Importance of Irrigation:

• Most farming in India depends on rain.
• Crops need water at the right time to grow well.
• Poor rains can lead to crop failures.
• Irrigation helps ensure crops get enough water and increases yield.

Types of Irrigation Systems:

• Wells:
  • Dug Wells: Collect water from shallow layers of the earth.
  • Tube Wells: Get water from deeper layers. Pumps are used to lift water for irrigation.
• Canals:
  • Large and complex systems.
  • Water comes from reservoirs or rivers.
  • Main canal divides into smaller canals to water fields.
• River Lift Systems:
  • Useful where canal flow is not enough.
  • Water is taken directly from rivers.
• Tanks:
  • Small reservoirs that store rainwater.
  • Capture runoff from small areas.

New Methods:

• Rainwater Harvesting: Collecting and storing rainwater.
• Watershed Management: Building check-dams to increase groundwater and prevent soil erosion.

Drought and Its Impact:

• Caused by lack of rain or uneven rainfall.
• Affects areas that rely only on rain for farming.
• Light soils (less water retention) worsen the impact.
• Scientists are developing drought-tolerant crop varieties.

3. Cropping Patterns

Mixed Cropping:

• Growing two or more crops on the same land at the same time.
• Examples: Wheat + Gram, Wheat + Mustard, Groundnut + Sunflower.
• Reduces risk and protects against crop failure.

Inter-Cropping:

• Growing two or more crops in a specific pattern on the same field.
• Examples: Soybean + Maize, Finger Millet (Bajra) + Cowpea (Lobia).
• Alternating rows of different crops.
• Different nutrient needs help maximize use and prevent pests.

Crop Rotation:

• Growing different crops in a planned sequence on the same land.
• Helps maintain soil health.
• Good irrigation and moisture are key.
• Can grow 2-3 crops a year with good planning.

Key Points:

• Irrigation is crucial for stable farming.
• Different methods are used depending on water sources.
• New techniques like rainwater harvesting are helping.
• Cropping patterns like mixed cropping, inter-cropping, and crop rotation improve yield and soil health.

C. CROP PROTECTION MANAGEMENT

Problems in Crop Fields:

• Crops are often attacked by weeds, insects, and diseases.
• If not controlled, these can cause major damage to crops.

Weeds:

• Unwanted plants in fields.
• Examples: Xanthium (gokhroo), Parthenium (gajar ghas), Cyperinus rotundus (motha).
• Compete with crops for food, space, and light.
• Must be removed early for a good harvest.

Insect Pests:

• Attack plants by:
  • Cutting roots, stems, and leaves.
  • Sucking cell sap.
  • Boring into stems and fruits.
• Reduce crop health and yield.

Diseases:

• Caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• Spread through soil, water, and air.

Control Methods:

• Pesticides: Include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Used on plants, seeds, and soil. Can cause pollution if overused.
• Mechanical Removal: Physically removing weeds.
• Preventive Methods:
  • Proper seed bed preparation.
  • Timely sowing.
  • Intercropping.
  • Crop rotation.
• Other Measures: Use resistant crop varieties and summer ploughing to destroy pests and weeds.

Storage of Grains

Storage Problems:

• High storage losses due to:
  • Biotic factors: Insects, rodents, fungi, mites, bacteria.
  • Abiotic factors: Improper moisture and temperature.
• Problems lead to poor quality, weight loss, and poor marketability.

Control Measures:

• Clean produce before storage.
• Dry produce in sunlight, then shade.
• Fumigate with chemicals to kill pests.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

What is Animal Husbandry?

• Scientific management of animal livestock.
• Includes feeding, breeding, and disease control.
• Involves cattle, goats, sheep, poultry, and fish farming.
• Demand for milk, eggs, and meat is increasing with population and living standards.
• Humane treatment of animals is important.

A. CATTLE FARMING

Purpose:

• Two main purposes: milk production and draught labour.
• Draught labour includes tasks like tilling, irrigation, and carting.

Types of Cattle:

• Bos indicus: Cows.
• Bos bubalis: Buffaloes.
• Milch animals: Milk-producing females.
• Draught animals: Used for farm work.

Milk Production:

• Depends on the lactation period (time of milk production after calf birth).
• Foreign breeds (e.g., Jersey, Brown Swiss) have long lactation periods.
• Local breeds (e.g., Red Sindhi, Sahiwal) are disease-resistant.
• Cross-breeding combines these qualities.

Care and Shelter:

• Proper cleaning and shelter facilities are important.
• Regular brushing to remove dirt and loose hair.
• Well-ventilated sheds protect from weather.
• Sloping floors for easy cleaning and dryness.

Food Requirements:

• Maintenance Requirement: Food for healthy living.
• Milk Producing Requirement: Food during lactation.
• Animal Feed Types:
  • Roughage: High in fiber.
  • Concentrates: Low in fiber, high in proteins and nutrients.
• Balanced rations with all nutrients.
• Feed additives with micronutrients improve health and milk output.

Disease Control:

• Diseases reduce milk production and can cause death.
• Healthy animals eat regularly and have normal posture.
• Parasites:
  • External Parasites: Live on skin, cause skin diseases.
  • Internal Parasites: Worms affect stomach/intestine, flukes damage liver.
• Infectious Diseases: Caused by bacteria and viruses.
• Vaccinations protect against major diseases.

B. POULTRY FARMING

Purpose:

• Raising domestic fowl for egg production and chicken meat.
• Breeds developed for:
  • Layers: Egg production.
  • Broilers: Meat production.

Cross-Breeding:

• Combines Indian breeds (e.g., Aseel) with foreign breeds (e.g., Leghorn).
• Goals of cross-breeding:
  • More and better quality chicks.
  • Dwarf broilers for commercial chick production.
  • Tolerance to high temperatures.
  • Low maintenance needs.
  • Smaller egg-laying birds that can eat cheaper, fibrous diets.

Egg and Broiler Production:

• Broilers:
  • Fed vitamin-rich supplementary feed.
  • Aim for good growth, low mortality, and quality meat.
  • Sent to market for meat.

Good Management Practices:

• Important for high production.
• Maintain proper temperature and hygiene.
• Control diseases and pests.
• Broilers and layers have different needs:
  • Broilers: Protein-rich diet with adequate fat, high vitamins A and K.
  • Layers: Specific nutritional and housing needs.

Disease Control:

• Poultry can suffer from diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and nutritional deficiencies.
• Requires:
  • Regular cleaning and sanitation.
  • Spraying disinfectants.
  • Proper vaccination to prevent infectious diseases.

C. FISH PRODUCTION

Importance:

• Fish is a cheap source of animal protein.
• Includes true fish and shellfish (prawns, molluscs).

Methods:

• Capture Fishing: From natural resources.
• Culture Fishery: Fish farming.

Water Sources:

• Seawater: Marine fisheries.
• Freshwater: Rivers, ponds, etc.

a. Marine Fisheries

Resources:

• 7500 km coastline and deep seas.

Popular Marine Fish:

• Pomphret, mackerel, tuna, sardines, Bombay duck.

Fishing Techniques:

• Use of nets and fishing boats.
• Satellites and echo-sounders to find fish schools.

Mariculture:

• Farming high-value marine fish in seawater.
• Includes finned fish (mullets, bhetki), shellfish (prawns, mussels, oysters), and seaweed.
• Oysters farmed for pearls.

Challenges:

• Depleting marine fish stocks.
• Increased demand met by mariculture.

b. Inland Fisheries

Resources:

• Canals, ponds, reservoirs, rivers.
• Brackish water (estuaries, lagoons).

Methods:

• Capture Fishing: Limited yield.
• Aquaculture: Higher production.

Fish Culture:

• Sometimes combined with rice crops in paddy fields.
• Composite Fish Culture:
  • Uses multiple species in one pond.
  • Species have different food habits, so they don’t compete.

Examples:

• Catlas: Surface feeders.
• Rohus: Middle-zone feeders.
• Mrigals and Common Carps: Bottom feeders.
• Grass Carps: Feed on weeds.

Benefits:

• Efficient use of all pond food.
• Increased yield.

Challenges:

• Many fish breed only during monsoon.
• Quality seed availability issues.
• Solution: Hormonal stimulation for breeding in ponds ensures pure seed supply.

D. BEE-KEEPING

Importance:

• Honey production.
• Source of wax for medicinal use.
• Low investment, extra income for farmers.

Types of Bees:

• Local Varieties:
  • Apis cerana indica: Indian bee.
  • Apis dorsata: Rock bee.
  • Apis florae: Little bee.
• Italian Variety:
  • Apis mellifera: Common for commercial honey production.
  • High honey collection capacity.
  • Less aggressive.
  • Long hive stays and good breeding.

Commercial Production:

• Establish bee farms or apiaries.
• Quality of honey depends on pasturage (available flowers for nectar and pollen).

Pasturage Factors:

• Quantity of flowers.
• Type of flowers affects honey taste.

Chapter Summary:

• Several nutrients are essential for crops.
• Macro-nutrients: Required in large quantities.
• Micro-nutrients: Required in small quantities.
• Sources of Nutrients:
  • Manure
  • Fertilizers
• Organic Farming:
  • Minimal or no use of chemicals.
  • Uses organic manures, recycled farm wastes, bio-agents, and healthy cropping systems.
• Mixed Farming:
  • Includes crop production and raising livestock on the same farm.
• Mixed Cropping:
  • Growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same land.
• Inter-Cropping:
  • Growing two or more crops in definite row patterns.
• Crop Rotation:
  • Growing different crops on a piece of land in a pre-planned succession.
• Varietal Improvement:
  • Needed for higher yield, good quality, resistance to biotic and abiotic factors, shorter maturity duration, wider adaptability, and desirable agronomic characteristics.
• Animal Husbandry:
  • Proper care and management of farm animals including shelter, feeding, breeding, and disease control.
• Poultry Farming:
  • Raising domestic fowls for egg production and broiler production for meat.
• Cross Breeding:
  • Done between Indian and exotic breeds to enhance poultry production.
• Fish Production:
  • Fish can be obtained from marine and inland resources.
• Fish Culture:
  • Culturing fish in marine and inland ecosystems to increase production.
• Marine Fish Capture:
  • Done using fishing nets guided by echo-sounders and satellites.
• Composite Fish Culture System:
  • Commonly used for fish farming.
• Bee-Keeping:
  • Done to get honey and wax.